Hania Aguilar’s Father Denied U.S. Visa To Attend Her Funeral Service

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AP — The father of a North Carolina teen who was kidnapped and killed has been denied a visa to attend his daughter’s funeral.

News outlets report quote Naimeh Salem, an attorney for the father of 13-year-old Hania Aguilar, as saying the father was denied because he “doesn’t have enough ties to the country.” Services are set for Saturday in Lumberton.

A Change.org petition urging approval of a visa for the Guatemalan citizen got more than 50,000 signatures.

Police say a man forced the teenager into an SUV and drove off on Nov. 5. Her body was found last week.

A $30,000 reward remains in place for information related to the kidnapping.

Her family has received a new mobile home about a mile away to help them make a new start.

Original Story (Dec. 3, 2018)

ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — An online petition is growing to get Hania Aguilar’s father into the United States in time for the 13-year-old’s funeral.

Hania’s father lives in Guatemala and needs an expedited visa in order to attend the service that’s slated for Saturday at noon at Lumberton Senior High School.

The process typically takes at least a week if not more, but Hania’s father may not make it, despite nearly 12,000 signatures on the petition.

Although their are many obstacles, the community is remaining strong and pushing for Hania’s father to attend her funeral.

Hania was found dead on Tuesday, Nov. 27th, three weeks after being kidnapped in front of her Lumberton home. The FBI and local authorities are still searching for Hania’s killer.

A $25,000 reward is being offered by the FBI for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with video surveillance cameras in the area of Wire Grass Road in Robeson County, where Hania’s body was discovered, is asked to contact the FBI’s tip line at 910-272-5871.